English Explanatory Dictionary

signature

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A person's name, written by that person, used as identification or to signify approval of accompanying material, such as a legal contract.
  2. An act of signing one's name; an act of producing a signature.
  3. The part of a doctor’s prescription containing directions for the patient.
  4. Signs on the stave indicating key and tempo, composed of the key signature and the time signature.
  5. A group of four (or a multiple of four) sheets printed such that, when folded, they become a section of a book.
  6. A pattern used for matching the identity of a virus, the parameter types of a method, etc.
  7. Data attached to a message that guarantees that the message originated from its claimed source.
  8. A mark or sign of implication.
  9. A distinguishing feature or product.
  10. A tuple specifying the sign of coefficients in any diagonal form of a quadratic form.
  11. A resemblance between the external character of a disease and those of some physical agent, for instance, that existing between the red skin of scarlet fever and a red cloth; supposed to indicate this agent in the treatment of the disease.
  12. Text (or images, etc.) appended to a user's emails, newsgroup posts, forum posts, etc. as a way of adding a personal touch or including contact details.
adj
  1. Distinctive, characteristic, indicative of identity.
verb
  1. To sign with one's signature, to write one's signature on.

Pronunciation

/ˈsɪɡ.nə.t͡ʃə/ /ˈsɪɡ.nɪ.t͡ʃə/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-signature.wav sĭg′nəchər sĭg′nĭchər /ˈsɪɡ.nə.t͡ʃɚ/ /ˈsɪɡ.nɪ.t͡ʃɚ/ /ˈsəɡ.nə.t͡ʃə/ /sɪɡˈnetʃə(ɾ)/

Word forms

signature signatures more signature most signature signaturing signatured

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French signature, or from Medieval Latin signātūra, future active periphrastic of verb signāre from signum (“sign”), + -tūra, feminine of -tūrus, future active periphrastic suffix. Displaced native Old English handseten (literally “hand setting”).

Synonyms

sig siggy iconic sign

Related words

autograph

Derived words

blank signature countersignature cut signature digital signature electronic signature e-signature immunosignature isotope signature isotopic signature key signature multisignature neurosignature nonsignature presignature signatural signature authority signature-compatible signatureless signature song signature strike signature tune signaturist specimen signature subsignature technosignature time signature unsignatured wet signature

Translations

French: signature
This entry uses open data from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA/GFDL). Word forms are used for search and are not indexed as separate pages.
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